William Wollenberg, Former Legislator and Judge, Dies at 79

William L. Wollenberg, a former Republican legislator who was known for his fiery speeches on the House floor, died Monday. He would have turned 80 next week.

A conservative, Wollenberg often squared off on issues like the death penalty and gay rights in epic battles on the House floor against state Rep. Richard Tulisano, an equally fiery Democrat and civil libertarian.

Sen.Martin M. Looney, who is now the Senate majority leader, has said that he "learned as much law from Bill and Richard as I did in law school.''

A legislator for 12 years, Wollenberg was nominated for a judgeship in December 1996 by Republican Gov.John G. Rowland, and was in the same class of judges that included Democrat Barbara M. Quinn, who is now the chief court administrator, and Peter Zarella, a Republican who rose to the State Supreme Court.

After a career as a judge, Wollenberg became a trial referee in July 2002 and then chief administrative judge for the trial referees in 2007.

Born in Hartford, Wollenberg attended Farmington High School, Middlebury College, and the University of Connecticut law school. A former chairman of the Farmington school board, he started serving in the state House of Representatives in January 1983, and eventually became the co-chairman of the judiciary committee when the Republicans controlled the House for two years. It was on that committee that he clashed philosophically with Tulisano, who reigned with far-reaching powers when he served as judiciary co-chairman.

When Wollenberg came up for a judgeship, Tulisano — who was no longer on the judiciary committee at that point — testifed on his behalf. After his testimony, Tulisano walked over to the startled Wollenberg and gave him a traditional Italian kiss.

Rep.Mary M. Mushinsky, a Democrat, said at the time that she found Wollenberg "unwilling to take complaints of discrimination seriously.'' But most legislators said that Wollenberg was qualified to become a judge, and he was approved by 138-4 in the House and 27-3 in the Senate.

On the bench, Wollenberg was still involved in recent rulings, including a case that is being reviewed by the State Supreme Court concerning a teenager whose transfer to an out-of-state treatment center last year was blocked by the state Department of Children and Families.

The state's highest court will decide whether the Appellate Court was correct when it ruled that only DCF's commissioner, not a trial judge, holds the authority to send a child in DCF care out of state.

In 2011, Wollenberg, sitting in juvenile court, ordered that a 15-year-old boy who had pleaded guilty to robbery should be sent to Glen Mills School in Concordville, Pa. DCF objected because it was trying to sharply cut the number of children who were being sent out of state.